Tesco price glitch sees bargain-hunters snap up new iPad 3 for just £50 instead of £659

A spattering of bargain-hunters snapped up a new iPad 3 for the incredible price of £50 this evening thanks to a glaring price glitch on the Tesco website.

Tesco Direct listed the unreleased iPad 3 at £49.99 for what's believed to be around 30 minutes until it was removed just after 6pm.

The IT error shaved £600 off Apple's brand new tablet, which is due to cost a far more expensive £650 when it hits UK stores on 16 March.

Glitch: Elated customers snapped up a bargain iPad 3 for just £50 before Tesco staff spotted an IT error, but it's now unclear whether they'll receive the product

The discount was spotted by stunned customers eagerly scouring the web in anticipation of the official UK launch this Friday.

An unconfirmed number jumped in were able to make a purchase before staff spotted the error.

Tesco even issued receipts and promised to deliver 'direct from the supplier' within 3 working days.

But the lucky few have since been left in limbo by the supermarket giant, which said it was 'unsure' whether it would honour their purchases.

A Tesco spokesman said the IT team was investigating the error in the aftermath of the glitch and would make a full statement in due course.

The spokesman told This is Money: 'This was an IT error which is being corrected at the moment. We don't have any more information at the moment and are investigating what happened.

'We are not entirely sure we could honour these purchases [because the iPad has not been released] and are not sure whether money has been taken [from customer accounts]'.

Staff immediately removed the listing when the error was spotted. The supermarket was in advanced stages of preparing to sell the Fourth Generation iPad, which Apple boss Tim Cook claims will 'redefine' the market.

Carl Palmer, who works at This is Money's sister publication Mail on Sunday, was one of those who jumped in after spotting a link to the glitch on Twitter.

His email receipt, seen by This is Money, confirms that his order was processed and appears to suggest that money has been taken from his account.

Tesco promised to provide more information once it has investigated the glitch.